White House Says His May 28 Speech at West Point Will Address the U.S.'s Global Role

In the sixth year of his presidency, President Barack Obama is trapped in a giant foreign-policy paradox: His reluctance to get involved in new conflicts abroad is fully in sync with today's public mood—yet it somehow bothers Americans at the same time.

What people seem to want is a president who projects toughness without forcing the country to do so many of the tough chores it endured for the last decade or so. If that seems like a...